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GUF - BODY
- Petra Hadžidaova
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
Genesis 1: 27 (NIV)
(1)
INTRODUCTION
A little seed I had sown,
From it, a mighty tree has grown.
Fruit it bears each year,
It brings me good cheer.
From the death of a seed, a new creation, a new body emerges. Every living being has a body after its kind. Animals have animal bodies, humans have human ones, and plants have plant bodies. Even heavenly beings have a body, one made from heavenly, spirit stuff. In the Bible, human bodies are usually referred to with the Hebrew words basar and nephesh. Nowadays, the term guf has come into usage.
GUF - THE MODERN HEBREW WORD FOR BODY
In the Bible, the concept of our earthly bodies is usually described with the words basar, nephesh, or gviyah. Nowadays, in modern Hebrew, they use the word guf. It originates from a root referring to a lid, container, or substance, and so encompasses the deeper meaning of a vessel that encases the soul.
IN HIS IMAGE - CHARACTER OR BODY RESEMBLANCE?
Surely there is not even one believer out there who knows not that we are created in God’s image. But what does that mean? Do we resemble Him in body or only in character? Could it be both?
I personally have stood by the notion that being created in God’s image means resembling him in character. But there is another theory I stumbled upon during my studies.
Scripture states that God also has a body. Yes, He is spirit, but He does have a body. That body is not like our own fleshly earthly one. It is made of heavenly spiritual stuff. (2)
It actually makes sense. What is a body to begin with? Usually, when we refer to a body, we speak of the “organized physical substance of an animal, human or plant, either living or dead.” (3) But the word body has also other meanings. It can also speak of “a mass of matter distinct from other masses,” or “something that embodies or gives concrete reality to a thing.” (3)
So God does have a body. So do angels. Resurrected people will also have bodies. As Paul states, what we will become after resurrection is not fully known, but people claim that we will have resurrected physical bodies that will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to never die. (2)
HIS BODY WAS BROKEN
Sin separated us from God’s presence, His Spirit. But God so loved the world, us, that He sent the Lamb of God to redeem us from that sin. Yeshua’s body was broken so that we could be healed. Through His suffering on the cross, we have been healed, and the new covenant has been ratified.
THE BODY OF CHRIST
When we believe and are baptised by the Spirit and water, we clothe ourselves in Yeshua. His Spirit comes to reside in us and manifests through different gifts. We become a part of Yeshua’s body. Some are the eyes, some the ears, others are the heart, and so forth … We are hidden in Him, and He resides in us.
THE TREASURY OF SOUL
There are other interesting nuggets to be found in Jewish mythology. Apparently, in the Talmud, the term Guff also speaks of the repository of all unborn souls. They believe that the Messiah shall not come until all souls shall be born and the repository is empty. (4)
But as they state at GotQuestions.com, this concept is not found in the Bible and is probably not biblical. Considering how Jews also call the “Tree of life” “The Tree of Souls”, one does wonder, though. Let the LORD reveal. (4, 5)
CONCLUSION
Every living thing and even matter has a body after its kind. It is something that embodies or gives concrete reality to a thing. Animals have animal bodies. Humans have human bodies made of earthly flesh, and angels have heavenly bodies made of spiritual stuff. The modern Hebrew term for body is guf. This expression originates from a root referring to a lid, container, or substance. It points to the body being a vessel that encases the soul. Interestingly, the Guff in the Talmud also refers to the repository of all unborn souls. The latter is not from the Bible or Hebrew texts and is probably not biblical.
Our sins separated us from God, but Yeshua redeemed us. His body was broken, so we could be healed. Now every believer is immersed in water and spirit and becomes part of Yeshua’s body.
Application
During the week, do one good thing for your body, like eat healthier, or do some physical activity when possible.
SOURCES
Image was created via canva.com.
Israel Bible Center. Soul, Spirit, Mind, Body: What is Man? Available at https://israelbiblecenter.com/courses/jewish-beliefs-and-history/soul-spirit-mind-body-what-is-man
Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Body. Available at https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/body
GotQuestions. What is the guff? Available at https://www.gotquestions.org/guff.html
Wikipedia. Guf Available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guf
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